Mozambique Declares Country Free of Land Mines Laid in Civil War

The mine most recently destroyed by HALO is considered the last to be cleared from a known minefield, supporting Mozambique’s compliance with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

Tourism and worldwide investment could also benefit as the country becomes safer and HALO Trust claims that Mozambique’s GDP has increased by 7% every year since HALO started their demining work there.

After a long fight for independence and a civil war, the small east African country was pocked with unexploded land mines, typically small, disc-shaped metal and plastic devices, installed beneath the surface of the ground and which detonate when stepped on.

Mozambique was torn by civil war from 1977 to 1992, and hundreds of thousands of mines were laid in all 10 of the country’s provinces, endangering 1.5 million people, said AIM. “HALO… hopes today’s news provides the momentum to strive for a mine free world by 2025″.

Overall, they’ve cleared over 171,000 landmines, accounting for about 80% of the total destroyed.

“I have honour to declare Mozambique as a country free of the threat of land mines”, Foreign Affairs Minister Oldemiro Baloi said at a ceremony in the capital Maputo. Communities could now cultivate crops and graze livestock safely, Halo said. The HALO Trust began their mine clearance programme in Mozambique in 1993.

HALO’s work in Mozambique was funded by the governments of the USA , UK, Netherlands, Ireland, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Belgium, as well as The Reece Foundation, Tokyo Broadcasting System, UNDP, World Vision, Trocaire, Concern, Mitsubishi Corporation, National Demining Institute/Hitachi and Actifonds Mijnen Ruimen. “We are truly grateful to those who risked their lives in order to protect those of our children and future Mozambicans”.

“This is a proud day for Mozambique”.